The most frequently asked question yesterday was “What do the horses do during really bad storms?” Well, in all honestly, its business as usual until instinct kicks in and tells the horses to move to higher ground. And don’t worry, Assateague actually has higher ground!
Away from the beach and bay, toward the center of the island, there are high dune ridges that create natural “bluffs” that are 10 feet or more above sea level. These ridges support the growth of maritime forests, which provide shelter from the elements. If the weather conditions get very bad, the horses and other wildlife move toward these areas and remain there until the weather passes. Up until the weather is really bad, the horses will shelter among the vegetation in lower lying areas, just as N2BHS (Carol’s Girl), N2BHS-M (Susi Sole), and N9BM-E (Yankee) [from right to left] were doing yesterday when the winds were gusting up to 36 miles per hour and the rain was falling sideways.
Horse sense?
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